Horrific: One of the victims of attacker Philip Spence, 32 (above) is unlikely to ever speak again

A heroin addict is facing life in jail for a 'sustained and vicious' claw hammer attack on three sisters as they slept in a luxury London hotel on holiday with their children.

One of the victims - whose brain tissue spilled from a crack in her skull after Philip Spence bludgeoned her almost to death - lost an eye and now has just 5 per cent brain function, leaving her unable to speak.

Another lost all the bones in her nose after the assault, which happened when the 32-year-old sneaked into their hotel room at night to steal iPads, gold jewellery and mobile phones.

He dumped the claw hammer outside the four-star Cumberland Hotel in Marble Arch before boarding a bus - where CCTV footage showed him rifling through the suitcase to check the stolen goods.

Today a jury at Southwark Crown Court found Spence guilty of attempted murder as a judge warned him he could be behind bars for the rest of his life.

Judge Anthony Leonard QC told him: 'The sentence I will have to consider is a full life term.

'You, Mr Spence, must realise that any sentence I impose is bound to be a very substantial sentence, subject to the report I receive.'

The three sisters, wealthy United Arab Emirates residents Ohoud, Khulood and Fatima al-Najar, were on holiday when they were bludgeoned and left for dead in the early hours of April 6 this year.

They had spent the day at Buckingham Palace and the London Aquarium before returning to their hotel for the night, the court heard.

Their fourth sister Sheika Al-Mheiri had stayed out later, so they left the room unlocked for her to return.

Once they were asleep, Spence - who was caught on CCTV walking through the hotel's lobby - crept into their room through the unlocked door.

The eldest sister, Khulood, spotted him rifling through their handbags at around 1.30am before he launched the vicious attack.

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Weapon: Spence rained blows down on the three sisters in the Cumberland Hotel as their children cowered

Evidence: CCTV caught the brutal attacker strolling into the hotel near London's Marble Arch. The three sisters had left their door in the four-star hotel unlocked because a fourth sister was due to return later that night

Crime: He was then seen leaving through the lobby with the suitcase containing the stolen goods in his hand

The alarm was only raised after their sister returned to discover them lying gravely injured on the floor, with blood spattered on the walls.

Prosecutor Simon Mayo QC said: 'The scene that met the eyes of the police and emergency services as they arrived in the aftermath was, in the words, of one of those attending, "horrific".'

There were injuries on her back indicating Spence continued the attack even as she turned to avoid the onslaught and collapsed to the floor.

The IT worker told the court in an emotional victim impact statement: 'I remember the day when police officers told me shortly after the incident that Ohoud was dying.

Accomplice: Neofitos Efremi, 57, was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary

'She is now confined to a hospital bed for the rest of her life and unable to communicate, eat, see move.

'She can only squeeze my hand; she is a living dead sister. Seeing Ohoud like this every day breaks my heart.

‘I have now lost my job, as I am being medically retired due to my inability to do my job due to the injuries I have.

‘Since the attack, I am full of sadness and in tears a lot of the time. I have lot of difficulty sleeping. I am really short-tempered with people around me and I have no patience for anyone.

‘Since the incident I have not spoken to any of my friends and I still do not want to see any of them. I feel isolated and very sad.

‘When that man attacked myself and my sisters, and stole our belongings, he took far more than our property; he took away our futures, our plans, our happiness and our lives.

‘It means nothing to me that Phillip Spence will be in prison. I want him to feel the pain he has caused us and believe in an eye for an eye, as is the justice in my own country.

‘I respect the laws of the UK but I cannot say I feel justice will be done simply by sending him to prison.

'He has never once shown any remorse. He cannot even admit what he has done. He blames other people for his own mistakes. He has never given any explanation for his actions nor taken any responsibility.

Spence burst in on the three wealthy Arab sisters sleeping at the Cumberland Hotel, off Oxford Street (above)

Assault: A room in the Cumberland Hotel similar to the one in which the women were viciously attacked

‘I will never ever forgive him, and sincerely hope that one day he will feel the pain that we are in.

Khulood, 36, had her eye sockets shattered, her forehead and jaw fractured and her facial nerve damaged.

Her cheekbone area was ‘completely destroyed’, she was unable to open her mouth or swallow and her bones were bleeding into her muscle tissue.

I am extremely upset and emotional. I cannot sleep for anxiety and flashbacks of the sounds of my children screaming... He stole my children's innocence. They will never view the world in the same way

Attack victim Khulood al-Najar, 36

She also sustained a fracture to her lower left arm where she had desperately tried to defend herself against the onslaught.

Her victim impact statement said '100 years in prison will not be enough' for Spence, who robbed her children of their innocence.

'I am simply not myself any more,' she said.

'I feel very lonely and have (to) lay in a hospital bed without my sister, children and family.

'I am extremely upset and emotional. I cannot sleep for anxiety and flashbacks of the sounds of my children screaming.'

She said she has been left on a cocktail of medication, adding: 'My looks have changed forever; I am not even the same person when I look in the mirror.

'He stole my children's innocence. They will never view the world in the same way. They do not trust anyone. They are now fearful to be alone and do not want to leave home.'

Spence, from Harlesden in north west London, stood and stared straight ahead impassively as the verdicts were read out.

The three women were staying at the hotel (pictured) for a shopping and sightseeing trip in the capital

LONDON 'STILL ONE OF THE SAFEST CITIES IN THE WORLD', SAY POLICE

Police moved to reassure tourists after the verdict that London remains one of the safest cities in the world.

Metropolitan Police commander Mak Chishty (right) said: 'The ramifications of this incident were felt across London, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other major cities across the world, feeling shocked and outraged and understandably frightened.

'I would like to give reassurance that an incident of this nature is thankfully very, very rare and the victims were not specifically targeted, followed or attacked because they are from the UAE.

'London very much remains one of the safest major cities in the world with crime continuing to fall year on year. This financial year to date, overall crime in London is down by 2 per cent and visitor numbers from the UAE have not diminished.

'This incident should not deter anyone from visiting London.'

A spokesman for the Cumberland hotel said it was a 'deeply shocking incident and totally unprecedented.'

But they added: 'The desperately sad truth is that Mr Spence could only access the bedroom because the door was left open.

'Despite the horrific nature of this one isolated incident, the police and the mayor confirm that London is one of the safest capital cities in the world.'

He had admitted the attack but denied three counts of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

A jury of seven women and five men took a day to find him guilty.

Neofitos 'Thomas' Efremi, 57, from Islington, north London, who also found guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

After the verdict was read out Efremi, who walks with a crutch, began pacing around the dock after Spence was escorted out and said to the dock officer: 'I’ll kill him. He stitched me up.'

He then turned to a detective in the public gallery and said: 'Don’t f****** look at me.'

The two men were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on November 17 at Southwark Crown Court.

‘This family were enjoying a holiday in our city when they were brutally and viciously attacked whilst they lay sleeping in their beds. Philip Spence used a hammer to try to kill the women before stealing their belongings.

‘Not only were the three sisters severely injured in the attack, their children were in the room at the time and witnessed the horror of the violence.

‘I would like to praise the immense courage of the victims who gave evidence in court whilst still undergoing medical treatment for their injuries and thank them for their help in bringing Spence to justice.'

'It is unimaginable the terror they must have felt when they woke to find him in their room,' he added.

'The level of violence Spence chose to use was extraordinary, and completely unnecessary for him to steal, as he had set out to do that night.”

He went on: 'Our thoughts remain with the women he injured and nearly killed, and their families. Whilst his conviction will change little for them, it may go some way to helping them deal with the events of that night.'